Quote of the Day: "If Big Brother (of Orwell's 1984) comes to America, he will not be a fearsome, foreboding figure with a heart-chilling, omnipresent glare as in 1984. He will come with a smile on his face, a quip on his lips, a wave to the crowd, and a press that (a) dutifully reports the suppressive measures he is taking to save the nation from internal chaos and foreign threat; and (b) gingerly questions whether he will be able to succeed." -- Michael Parenti, Source: "Inventing Reality" (1986)

Washington sources tell us that a Patriot Act renewal bill is scheduled for a vote in the House TOMORROW, Tuesday February 8.

They will attempt to pass the bill, H.R.514, under "suspension of the rules," which requires a two-thirds vote.

Defeating this will only require 1/3 of Congress. That will buy us time, and time is what we need to educate Congress that the Patriot Act is unnecessary and dangerous.

HOWEVER, our sources also tell us we're likely to lose this vote, UNLESS WE ACT IMMEDIATELY.

We have previously written about the Patriot Act and provided sample letters to oppose it:

The more people who participate, the better the chance of success. Please forward this message to friends.

You can also follow us on Twitter and re-tweet. The Patriot Act opposition movement is using the hashtag #patriotact
And while "Tweeting" any news of interest to other DC Downsizers, please use the hashtag #downsizedc

Quote of the Day: "True, it is evil that a single man should crush the herd, but see not there the worse form of slavery, which is when the herd crushes out the man." -- Antoine De Saintexupery (1900-1944) Source: Citadelle, 1948

A Florida court has struck down all of Obamacare as unconstitutional, but it will remain the law of the land until the Supreme Court rules.

So let's maintain our pressure on the Senate! I sent the following letter to my Congressional reps this morning . . .

The President and Congress promised that Obamacare would bring down healthcare costs. But Medicare's Chief Actuary, Richard Foster, just testified to the House Budget Committee that this claim is "false, more so than true." This makes me think I was lied to.

President Obama also promised that everyone who likes their current health insurance would be able to keep it. But many people are already losing their old health insurance because of Obamacare. This feels like another lie.

Candidate Obama promised that his healthcare bill would contain no requirement that would enrich health insurance companies by forcing citizens to buy their products. He even said, "Well, if things were that easy, I could mandate everybody to buy a house, and that would solve the problem of homelessness. It doesn’t." http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/federal-judge-cites-quotes-president-rul

Mr. Obama made quite a point of this when debating Hillary Clinton, but the law that people now call by his name, Obamacare, does exactly what he PROMISED it would not do. I'm quite certain I was lied to.

Politicians constantly promise to protect me from rapacious businesses, but that's another fraud. I can already protect myself by refusing to do business with companies I don't like. But how do I stop doing business with the federal state?

The best I can do is convince a majority of my fellow citizens to elect a Congress that will stop coercing me, but that's nearly impossible. So it's really you I need protection from, especially when you conspire with big businesses to pick my pocket for my own supposed benefit, as with Obamacare.

I'm angered by the hypocrisy. When a business does something wrong you politicians always erect some cancerous regulatory scam, like Sarbanes-Oxley, to punish the innocent along with the guilty, but do you hold the federal state to the same standard? NO! Not at all. Instead, it's lies, lies, lies, and fraud, fraud, fraud. Enough!

The Senate needs to repeal Obamacare, just like the House did. DO IT NOW!

"Tracking cookies are not only obnoxious, they leave crumbs that lead marketers straight to your door," says Robert Beens, CEO of Startpage.com, the World's Most Private Search Engine.

So he's making it his mission to educate consumers about the "Internet crumbs" cookies leave behind. He's also encouraging consumers to delete tracking cookies from their computers on January 28 in honor of International Data Privacy Day.

Tracking cookies are "a huge privacy problem," according to Beens, who accuses advertisers of being information vultures. "A better name for them might be 'stalker cookies'," he says.

What some Internet companies are doing with consumer information is unconscionable, Beens contends. "Most consumers are unaware of how most big websites and search engines capture user cookie information and IP addresses to record their search terms, the times of their visits, and the links they click."

He points out that search engine records are especially invasive because they can reveal extremely personal information, like someone's interests, family situation, and medical conditions. These profiles are often stored in giant databases and used for marketing purposes. They can also be hacked or subpoenaed.

"Internet information can come back to haunt you," Beens warns. "If you search for information about diabetes, for example, that could be added to your consumer profile and potentially raise a red flag if you apply for a new job or a life insurance policy."

Beens' company offers consumers a cookie-free service, even when they want custom search settings. Startpage's new URL Generator encodes these settings in an anonymous URL that can be bookmarked or used to create an address bar search box. For example, if someone prefers large font and family-friendly filtering, the URL will automatically deliver searches just the way he or she likes them at every visit.

Startpage has always offered a non-identifying, anonymous cookie option for storing custom settings. This is still available for those users who selectively delete tracking cookies and know how to whitelist Startpage's privacy-friendly cookie.

"Our new URL Generator is just one more way we're offering innovative, privacy-friendly searches and helping to change how the Internet does business," says Beens. "We believe that privacy is a fundamental right and the basis of a free society. We're helping consumers enjoy all the Internet has to offer without giving up that right."

About Startpage

Startpage is an award-winning search engine with an industry-leading privacy policy. Startpage is the only major search engine to provide third-party certified, fully anonymous, private searches. Startpage offers SSL encryption and is the only one offering a free proxy service.
Further information on Startpage, including details about the company's exemplary data-handling practices, can be found at www.startpage.com

The image of the US Flag flying next to the Communist Chinese Flag is disturbing enough. It is also disturbing that Obama would invite the Communist leader responsible to a state dinner. Something that is supposed to be reserved for dignitaries.

The U.S. State Department has identified 22 areas of human-rights abuses under Hu Jintao, among them torture, forced abortions, forced labor, detention of religious groups, government corruption and restrictions on speech and the media. In 2006, citizens were executed for such nonviolent crimes as bribery and stealing oil. Parade

During George W Bush's reign, many Republicans who still hold office today were responsible for Legislation like Real ID or National ID cards. "The former head of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, once stated: "The net effect of this may be that it's going to be harder for people on campus here to get a drink when they're under 21, but unfortunately it's not going to be that much harder for the most sophisticated dangerous people to counterfeit an identity card." Matter of fact, an alleged murderer who was featured on Americas Most Wanted was stopped in Florida with a Real ID compliant Drivers license that had his image but a completely different name.

Republicans are just as responsible for the loss of liberty as any current and former democrats. They simply do it under the guise that we need protection.

One thing for certain, we know Hu Jintao is a communist dictator, he doesn't use much political rhetoric about his strong arm tactics of forced abortion, limited religion and spying on its citizens. These things are done to protect the Communist rule not the people of China and he certainly does not care about rights.

China has a national ID card system and the same company involved with producing it is the same one that has their hands in creating the National ID card for the US.

What is Chertoff up to these days?

“On September 20, 2010, the Safran Group announced a definitive agreement with L-1 Identity Solutions to purchase L-1’s Biometric, Secure Credentialing and Enrollment Services for $1.09 billion in cash on hand. Once the transaction is complete, Safran intends to incorporate these L-1 divisions as part of the Safran Group’s existing security business, Morpho, and solidify Safran’s presence as an industry leader for biometrics and identity management solutions. The transaction is expected to close during 2011, subject to regulatory approvals.

During this transaction, The Chertoff Group served as strategic advisors to Safran. The Chertoff Group members of the advisory team included: Michael Chertoff, Co-founder and Managing Principal at The Chertoff Group; Chad Sweet, Co-founder and Managing Principal at The Chertoff Group; and J. Bennet Waters PhD., Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer at The Chertoff Group.” www.chertoffgroup.com

That;'s right, the same company that is creating the National ID cards for those states that did comply is being sold to a French Company. Michael Chertoff was so kind to help with deal. I wonder how much financial gain he received through this deal?

NOW REPUBLICANS ARE PUSHING FOR E-Verify
A Backdoor National ID System

Republican Governor Rick Scott signed executive order to force employers to use everify

Montana is pushing for it as are many other states. Not to mention, groups like NumbersUSA is pushing for the system to mandatory nationwide and are pushing for legislation this year.

Information is entered into a national database to see if anyone who seeking employment has the right to work.

President Ronald Regan was opposed to any form of National ID. Last time I checked he was a Republican President, yet his predecessors under the guise security and safety believe systems that can be hacked or compromised is going to keep us safe from illegal immigrants and terrorists.

Yes, we have an issue with security and illegal immigration in the country, but come up with some viable solutions.

Secure our border and enforce current legislation without expanding the size of government.

Give the special id to all visitors in the country and keep tabs on them, not Americans.

Read a and reread the Constitution, stop looking for loopholes and abide by it in its fullest context.

STAND UP, SPEAK UP, LIVE FREE!

GOD's WORD FOR TODAY
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies - Proverbs 31:10 KJV

While the media tries to cover its tracks in presenting the Arizona shooter as a right wing tea party conservative, the real details are coming out and it isn't a pretty picture.

He obviously has some mental issues and his day in court will not come soon enough for the victims and their families in AZ.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Congresswoman Giffords who is still in critical condition and with the family of Federal Judge John Roll, Nine Year Old Christina Green, and the families of the other victims.

I have been to many political events and have seen people getting vicious and hateful even threatening but it was never the conservatives instigating it.

Events like this one may cause conservatives to shy away in fear that if they speak up, they will be looked at as a target or they may be looked at as a suspect if their view is in opposition of the elected representative who is speaking.

We must always remain vigilant while attending these types of events to make certain their are no left wing extremists inciting violence or anyone else for that matter.

Yes our nation has gone in a direction that the majority of Americans do not like, but the answer to the problems in is the voting booth and through the use of civil dialogue.

The 2010 mid term elections proved that we can get the "change" we want without even raising our voices.
GOD'S WORD FOR TODAY
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; Matthew 5:44 (KJV)

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Eyewitness “Shooter Was Ready For War!” He Had More Magazines & Attempted To Load One http://bit.ly/hehE35